Mission

Participating in God's ongoing mission in the world, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is a community of Christ joining in the Spirit's work of forming and equipping people for ministries familiar and yet to unfold and communities present and yet to be gathered.

In the Way of Jesus

Since 1794 Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has been preparing students in the way of Jesus. We welcome neighbors; share meals, differences, and experiences; expand our minds; and expect to be challenged by the broad range of beliefs we bring to the table.

Academic Rigor

The established academic rigor of more than 200 years of theological education, and the depth and diversity of our faculty, ensure our student community learns, grows, and flourishes on a path to practical ministry. Our students prepare to engage in God's work with parishes, nonprofits, and institutions specific to their call.

Service to the Church and Community

From our extensive theological library, archaeological museum, and printed and digital publications, to welcoming participation in our robust continuing education program, mission-related opportunities, and youth ministry institute, the Seminary models what it means to be a valuable resource for the church and the world.

Support Theological Education

When you give to Pittsburgh Seminary, you invest in men and women who, in and out of the classroom, are preparing to participate with Christ in the transformative work of gospel ministry around the globe—whether in traditional church settings, entrepreneurial church plants, or missional initiatives. Your giving supports student scholarships, faculty development, educational programs such as the World Mission Initiative, Church Planting Initiative, and Metro-Urban Institute, and much more.

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Meet PTS

Continued Learning for Continuing Growth

“I’m a life-long learner always looking for opportunities to take classes,” says the Rev. Dr. Donna Giver-Johnston, pastor of Community PC of Ben Avon, Pa. Some years after seminary, she earned a Certificate in Spiritual Formation from Pittsburgh and Columbia seminaries, and since moving to Pittsburgh in 2013 she’s taken full advantage of the offerings in PTS’s Continuing Education Program.

“But it’s important not to communicate inadvertently that we don’t care about what’s happening in the world. So together we’ll learn ways to preach sermons that are pastorally sensitive, prophetically challenging, and particularly relevant today—not in a partisan way, but in one that helps people find their voice as leaders seeking to follow Jesus’ command to love God and neighbor,” she explains.

Raised Roman Catholic, Donna was 12 when she heard God’s call to serve in the church. But because she was female, the priesthood wasn’t an option. “I thought I must have accidentally overheard the divine call meant for the boy kneeling next to me,” she remembers.

Years later, at Westminster College she majored in industrial relations, then went to work in Washington, D.C. “One Sunday morning I attended worship at New York Avenue PC, where I’d been tutoring inner city kids. There I saw what I’d never seen before: a woman in the pulpit. I said to God, ‘Oh, that’s what you called me to do.’” Soon afterwards Donna quit her government job, enrolled in seminary, and upon graduation received a preaching award.

After a number of years in the pastorate, she began wanting to learn more about spiritual formation—“for my own nourishment and for guiding others spiritually,” she notes. “The Certificate program allowed me to attend to my restless heart seeking to rest in God. And the experiences and training I received have enriched my pastoral ministry with a collection of resources for deepening spiritual practices,” she comments.

But Donna wasn’t done. “I love to ask questions,” she insists. And after 10 years in the church and two as a stay-at-home mom, she enrolled at Vanderbilt University and earned a Ph.D. in homiletics and liturgics. “I believe it’s vitally important that pastors continue to study and learn—for their own growth and the growth of their congregations,” she concludes.